Kitten in a Box - Locked to grimholdkeeper

[puresilverpaws]

It was warm, quiet and dark. He wasn't sure where he was at first, as his senses began to awaken. He felt a soft blanket underneath him. Slowly moving, he sat up, his head gently nudging up the flap of the large cardboard box.

...A fireplace? This wasn't his room. Sure, he made a lot of forts, so being in a box wasn't unusual.

"Myieeeu..." It had an interesting smell about it, and, nervously, he ducked back down into the warm box, curling up within the confines once more, and pawed at a corner of it, his claws lightly scratching it. Maybe if he stayed hidden, he could figure things out better? Were he really aware of his real self, he might have boggled at the fact that first the hotel aged him up, and now it had aged him down to ten.

At least the hotel had put him in Balthazar's room? Furthermore, the box was very large, as if made for one of those older, heavier TVs. But anything smaller would not hold him.

Comments

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

He's charmed, immediately and very thoroughly. Folding his hands in his lap to curb the urge to reach out and hug the child, Balthazar opts instead for studying him seriously. "It's your decision whether to trust me, of course. I know...an older version of you. Your name is Roi Davis, right? I'm Balthazar. Balthazar Blake. This is my room, but I promise I didn't bring you here."

There should be some cognitive dissonance, regarding a prepubescent form of a man he's slept with repeatedly, but somehow Balthazar doesn't feel any awkwardness or shame, much less any darker urges. Just affection, and possibly protective instincts lurching into overdrive.

((Girlfriend is feeling ill, so I'm off for the night.))

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

"Yes... it's Roi Davis." Although the idea of this person knowing an older version of himself is... strange. He adjusts his hat.

"If you didn't bring me here, then why's my box in here? No, wait..." His brow furrowed in thought. "I would have woken up if I was moved. I'm a light sleeper. Cat-naps and all."

He then looks around curiously, tilting his head as he takes in the room, and then he stares at Balthazar again. He sounds terribly perplexed. "It still doesn't explain why you have my scent all over you! At least, not that much, not that potently, Balthazar!"

Boggled, Roi steps closer and attempts to stare him down.

{Okay. Rest well when you do, and I hope your girlfriend feels better soon!}}

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

"Do you believe in magic?" he asks gently, then trails off as the boy steps closer. Magic is an explanation for how he got here, but the explanation as to why he smells of Roi is a little more awkward.

He meets the blue-violet gaze a moment, blushing faintly, partly because of the intimacy the leftover scents represent, partly at the thought of being marked as belonging to Roi. "We're friends," he says at last, slowly, "very good friends."

((Concentration is shot tonight, so this is my only reply, sorry.))

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

'Very good friends'. That's a believable explanation. Roi doesn't like to cling on to anyone that's not a friend. Slowly, his expression relaxes.

"...I believe in magic. I've never seen it before, but some people even say that we cats are magic, too. Especially since our clothes stay intact when we shift." A beat, and then he considers a question. He smiles warmly at him, always watching him.

"If we're good friends, then tell me when my birthday is, please," he requests politely. "I'm talking month and day."

{That's okay. <3}}

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

"That's a very smart question to ask," he smiles. It's good that the child is not overly trusting. It takes him a moment to remember the date Roi told him, though. "It's March, isn't it? March 20th?"

"You're the only cat I know," he adds. "The only one who can change forms, that is. Magic is everywhere. I'm sure you have some. This place uses a kind of magic to bring people here and keep them. They're allowed to return home when it's done with them. Sometimes bad things happen, but sometimes good things happen, too. Like making friends."

((Just a quick tag from my parents' place. Should be around later. <3 ))

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

"...Yes. On the border between Pisces and Aries." Roi smiles brightly at that. So he is a friend! Yay!

Honestly, Roi's never been against establishing adults as friends, but it does tend to make him a little more guarded at first.

"Well, I'm happy that I wasn't thrown somewhere without a friend." His ears perk and twitch, his tail wagging in an almost dog-like way.

"But magic is everywhere? I've never heard that before..."

{Alright! :3}}

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

Balthazar approves. Especially in a place like the hotel. He smiles as the tail wagging. "Magic is a name we give to forces we don't quite understand, and the methods we use to manipulate those forces. But I was about to cook lunch. Would you like to join me? I was going to make oyster stew, minus the onions. So...basically cream and butter and shellfish."

He gives a small smile. He's hoping this sounds tempting to a cat. He was planning on serving some to the older Roi anyway.

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

Wait, how does magic tie in with food? Roi tilts his head and blinks.

Minus the... Roi's expression brightens. This guy knows what he can't eat! "Ah, sure! I'd like to try some! But... I am not sure how much help I will be. Last time I tried to cook, it all burned."

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

It was a non-sequitur, not that he's unwilling to discuss magic with Roi, but he's aware of his own tendency to run on and be pedantic, and that's no way to entertain a child. "Well, it'll be over the fireplace, anyway. I wouldn't want you to get burned. But you could help me stir, and butter the bread."

He gets up and moves around him to fetch the grocery bags off the bed. "Do you want something to drink while we cook? I have milk and herbal tea and apple cider."

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

Aha, now little things, he can do. He smiles and nods.

"Yeah... Milk, please?" And he finds himself grabbing onto Balthazar's coat. He's in a new area, as small as it is, and he doesn't like the idea of getting lost. That would be embarrassing!

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

"All right, fair enough. Let me see, I have at least two cups..." He scans the mantel, stopping short at the grip on his coat. He looks down to see whether Roi is suddenly scared or something, but as that doesn't seem to be the case, he just ruffles his hair gently and levitates the cups to hand, rather than drag him back across the room. The ring he wears glints faintly, but the floating china may be more noticeable.

((And it's bedtime. Catch you tomorrow. :) ))

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

Roi just peers up at Balthazar with an innocent expression, only to giggle when his hair is ruffled. Even so, it doesn't last long and he's immediately able to notice the magic being performed. At least, the floating cups. He clings onto Balthazar's coat in a tighter grip. "Whoa! You can... that's... that's... m-magic, right?! Holy crap!"

{Amazing how solidly my writing muse can be silenced when I get pissed off. DX Hope you slept well. <3}}

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

He laughs softly and sets the cups on the bed. "Yes. That's a very simple trick called levitation. It's not all fun and games, of course, but it's not wrong to enjoy it a little."

He pours milk for them both, his expression shifting into a thoughtful look. It normally doesn't occur to him when meeting an adult, but the possibility of testing Roi for magical talent has been dancing around the edges of his mind for a while (he was going to tutor him anyway, after all), and seeing him in a younger form makes it seem like a good idea. "Have a seat," he suggests to the boy. "Wherever you're comfortable. Do you want to try it yourself?"

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

Looking around, Roi eventually settles on the floor by the fire, sitting flat on his rump with his legs folded up next to his thighs. He peers up at him attentively, and his ears twitch and perk up further at the idea.

"I can? That would be awesome! Please??" Roi's tail wags at the prospect.

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

Balthazar sets a few ingredients by the fire, then sits next to Roi and nods, pulling an onyx ring off one of his pinky fingers. "I'm going to give you this to wear for a few minutes. It's a weak magic ring, designed to test and train students. Before you put it on, I want you to promise me to use it carefully. No trying to break things or set things on fire, and no shapeshifting while you're wearing it. I don't know how the magical aura would affect that, and I wouldn't want you to get stuck. Okay?"

His expression is serious--this isn't a coaxing request, it's a command. Still, he wouldn't be giving him this much opportunity to experiment if he didn't trust his temperament and common sense.

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

Roi watches Balthazar, and not the ring, as he speaks, and listens intently. He arches a brow at the idea that he'd want to destroy things, but he nods.

"I promise not to try to destroy anything, and I won't shift while wearing it. Cross my heart and hope to die."

Even so, Roi keeps his hands on his lap, not reaching out to try and grab the ring. Even as a child, he has patience. Besides, if he learned anything about magic from his video games, it was that magic could be insanely dangerous.

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

His serious expression melts into a smile. "Good. I believe you; you're an honest person, and that's a very good quality to have." He hands the ring to him. "Put it on wherever it fits best."

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

Roi takes the ring, looking it over intently, and then tries to fit the ring on. It's too large for his pinkies, so the index finger of his right hand will have to do. It's a little snug, but not uncomfortable. While he looks it over, his ears remain upright and pointed towards Balthazar, paying attention to him even though his eyes are focused elsewhere.

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

Balthazar says nothing for a moment, waiting to see if the ring will interface with Roi's nervous system. There's no dramatic sparking or anything overtly magical that occurs, but Roi may notice the ring becomes pleasantly warm, quite quickly. At length, the sorcerer smiles and holds out his own hand, displaying the large gem there. "How does it feel?"

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

The sudden surge of warmth almost startles him, and he holds down the impulse. If that's a sign, he doesn't want to let his surprise do anything bad.

"It's... warm. It was a bit weird. I wasn't expecting that. Is it supposed to do that?" Roi's ears tilt to the sides as he regards the ring.

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

"It's a good sign." He smiles and takes Roi's hand. "I'm going to direct some energy through you, first, to make sure it's working well for you. Just try to relax, okay?"

The gem on Balthazar's ring glows, light gathering in the facets. After a moment, he reroutes the energy into Roi through the hand-to-hand contact, carefully. Suddenly, both rings are lit up like Christmas trees.

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

The feeling of foreign energy unnerves him, and the fur on Roi's tail stands on end, as well as a few shorter strands of hair on his head.

Even so, he holds perfectly still and holds down his urge to be skittish of the foreign sensations. Balthazar told him not to transform, and so he won't.

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

"That's a good sign," he says softly after a moment, watching the rings glow. "You have some ability."

He eases off on the power flow, and his ring goes dim, but Roi's continues glowing faintly. Balthazar smiles, thoughtful but pleased. He looks around the room a moment, then points at the bed. "Let's try something. Look at the way the blankets lie on the bed. Even that way, there's air between them and the mattress. Try to imagine filling up that space with more and more air, until the blankets start to fluff up and lift away. Can you do that?"

[little-roi.livejournal.com]

"...Maybe?" Roi's not confident. Is this like telepathy? Wait, his phrasing. Move the air so that the blankets move? He decided to try that.

Pulling his focus as best he can, he looks to the bed and points the ring at it.

Move. He wants the air to move under the blankets (for starters.) He believes in magic, but it's hard to believe, for him, that he has this sort.

[grimholdkeeper.livejournal.com]

"Believe in yourself, dear heart," he smiles reassuringly. "I've had over a hundred fifty students. If I see potential in you, it's there."

He watches the blanket patiently as Roi makes the attempt. With most of his students, it took a few minutes of effort to get so much as a twitch, and they wore out quickly, but given Roi's from a different world, and a different type of being, he's not sure how it will all work.

((I'll let you decide how the magic attempt works out, unless you want me to.))